2025 MOT results
Kia Niro common problems
The most common reason a Kia Niro fails its MOT is wiper blades that do not clear the screen, on 22.1% of its 12,529 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a number plate lamp out at 3.8% of failures against 0.9% expected; a weak handbrake at 2.5% of failures against 0.8% expected; a tyre worn through to the cords at 14.0% of failures against 8.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 99,578 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 12.6% 12,529 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 30.9% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Kia Niro MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Kia Niro tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 22.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 15.0% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 14.0% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 11.8% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.8% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.8% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 3.0% |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | 2.6% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.5% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 2.5% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 2.3% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
22.1% of failures 13.4% expected 1.6 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Cut tyre
15.0% of failures 14.3% expected about as expected
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
14.0% of failures 8.0% expected 1.8 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
11.8% of failures 10.9% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Headlamp aim set too low
4.8% of failures 4.4% expected about as expected
The dipped beam points lower than it should, so it lights too little of the road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Number plate lamp out
3.8% of failures 0.9% expected 4.2 times as often
The lamp over the rear number plate not working, so the plate cannot be read at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Kia Niro, on 45.7% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is visibility, on 27.8% against 21.1% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 45.7% |
| Visibility | 27.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 21.3% |
| Brakes | 11.3% |
| Suspension | 2.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.3% |
| Steering | 1.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
30.9% of Kia Niro tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Kia Niros, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 15.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 7.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 5.0% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.3% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.3% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 1.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 1.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 0.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 0.8% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 0.7% |
| Items removed from driver's view prior to test Non-component advisories | 0.7% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 0.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Kia Niro problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Kia Niro?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” is the most common: it appears on 22.1% of failed Kia Niro tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 45.7% of failed tests.
How often does a Kia Niro fail its MOT?
12.6% of Kia Niro tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 99,578 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 55 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Kia Niro than on other cars?
Yes. “Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” appears on 3.8% of its failures against 0.9% for cars of the same age, and “Parking brake efficiency below requirements” appears on 2.5% of its failures against 0.8% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Kia Niro aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 99,578 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.